Armando Trapote takes the first Grand Prix of the the 2016 Sunshine Tour

Less than one tenth of a second separated the winner and the runner-up in Saturday’s first Grand Prix of the 2016 Sunshine Tour, with home rider Armando Trapote topping the class.

Eight riders got through to the jump-off in this CSI2* 1.45 competition. Trapote and the 11-year-old gelding Arrayan (Baloubet du Rouet x Grannus) were the best with a time of 38.41 seconds, just beating Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet riding the talented 10-year-old Cornet Obolensky-mare Coree to a time of 38.50 seconds against the clock. French rider Julien Epaillard and Sheriff de la Nutria LM (Diamant de Semilly SF x Papillon Rouge*) finished third in a time of 38.80 seconds.

The competition resumes on Tuesday 16th Feb, when week two of the Sunshine Tour gets underway.